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If you love quick one-pan dinners, you’ll love this pizza beans recipe. It’s essentially white beans simmered with marinara sauce and topped with cheese. (Like Baked Ziti, but using beans instead of pasta.) This recipe has already become somewhat viral, but I’m taking it a step further by adding a homemade ground turkey “sausage” to the mix.
I first heard of these when Smitten Kitchen shared the concept in 2017. Her version is vegetarian, so to boost the protein, I decided to experiment with adding ground turkey to it. When you season it like Italian sausage, using simple pantry spices, it tastes unbelievably good.
Plus, this variation delivers up to 40 grams of protein per serving! With leafy greens and fiber from the beans, I think it’s the perfect one-pot meal. I could eat this every single week.
Ingredients for Pizza Beans
- Ground Turkey. Instead of relying on store-bought turkey sausage, we’re making our own quickly with plain ground turkey and a few pantry spices. It tastes so good, without any weird ingredients hiding inside.
- White Beans. I use Cannellini beans for this recipe, but Great Northern or Garbanzo beans would also work here. I’m only using one can of beans, but you could double it if you want more!
- Marinara Sauce. This is a big factor in the overall flavor, so make sure you choose one you like. I’m using a fat-free option in these photos to keep the overall calories and added oil to a minimum, but my kids prefer it when I use Rao’s marinara sauce. (I agree it does taste better.)
- Shallot. This is optional, but adds a little extra flavor. It has a milder flavor than other onions, and it’s quick to slice because it’s so small.
- Spinach. I can’t resist adding some leafy greens to this one-pan meal! I suggest a range here, because 5 ounces of spinach can look like a LOT at first, but it will shrink quite a bit as it cooks. But you can always start with a little less, if you prefer.
- Pantry Spices. Ground sage, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes create a sausage-like flavor in just minutes. If you like sausage on pizza, this will satisfy your craving. (In theory, you could add some fennel seeds, too… but my family hates fennel.)
- Cheese. This is optional, because if we’re being honest, 3 out of 4 of my family members don’t like cheese. But it clearly looks more like comfort food and “pizza” when you broil cheese on top. And it takes about 60 seconds to do this! So, add it if you want to.
How to Make Pizza Beans with Ground Turkey Sausage
Step 1:
Heat a large, deep skillet (ideally one with a lid) over medium-high heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil and 1 thinly sliced shallot. Cook briefly, about 2 minutes, just until the shallot starts to turn translucent.
Next, add one pound of ground turkey to the skillet and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces, stirring often. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
Note: I skip the shallot when I’m in a hurry… which happens a lot on busy weeknights. It still tastes great without it.
Step 2:
Once the turkey is browned, add 1 teaspoon of ground sage, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for heat), and another 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt.
Stir briefly, just until the spices smell fragrant.
Then add in the fresh baby spinach. You can chop it if you want to make smaller pieces, or rip it into smaller pieces as you add it to the pan. Cover the pan with the lid briefly (about 2 minutes) to help the spinach wilt faster. Then stir until it has shrunk and looks quite wilted.
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Step 3:
Finally, add one 15-ounce can of white beans, drained & rinsed, plus 2 cups of marinara sauce. Stir well, and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir often, so the sauce doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pan, and lower the heat if it’s bubbling too rapidly.
Taste the mixture and season with additional salt, if needed. (This will vary depending on the type of marinara sauce you use each time. When I use fat-free marinara sauce, I usually add more salt, but the Rao’s marinara sauce is already flavorful without it.)
You can serve this warm right away… just like this, without cheese, for a dairy-free dish. Or, take one extra step to make it look more like pizza by following the tips below.
Adding Cheese On Top
For a cheesy, bubbly topping, turn on your oven’s broiler and let it preheat. Then sprinkle about 3 ounces of mozzarella over the skillet.
Transfer the skillet to the top shelf, about 6 inches below your heat source, and let the cheese broil until bubbly, about 60 seconds. Watch this closely as it moves fast!
As soon as it’s bubbly, you can serve this right away.
Important Note: Make sure you’re using an oven-safe pan that can withstand high heat. My 3.5-quart braiser (affiliate link) is oven safe, and it’s the pan I use most often for everything. You’ll see it pictured on my website a lot!
Pizza Beans (High-Protein Skillet!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot , thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional for heat)
- 3 to 5 ounces fresh baby spinach , to your liking
- 15 ounces Cannellini or Great Northern beans , drained and rinsed
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 3 ounces shredded mozzarella (optional)
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet (ideally with a lid) over medium high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and start sauteing the shallot. Stir often, just until it starts to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Next, add the ground turkey and season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Use a sturdy spatula to break up the meat, stirring often, until it looks crumbly and fully browned. It should take about 8 minutes to no longer see any pink pieces.
- Season the turkey with the ground sage, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). You may also want to season it with another ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt, to really boost the "sausage" flavor. Sausage is salty!
- Next, add the spinach and stir until it's wilted. I like to speed things up by placing a lid on the pan for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the lid and stir well. Once the spinach has wilted down, add the drained beans and tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let the ingredients marinate for about 5 minutes on medium heat. As soon as everything is heated through, taste it and adjust any seasoning as needed. You can serve it right away for a dairy-free dish, or top it with optional cheese using the next step.
- For a cheesy topping, turn on your oven's broiler. Sprinkle 3 ounces of mozzarella cheese over the top, then place the pan (make sure it's oven safe) on the top shelf near the broiler. Watch this closely! The cheese is usually brown and bubbly in about 60-90 seconds. Carefully remove it and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
More High-Protein Recipes to Try
- Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Tuna and Chickpea Salad (10-minute recipe)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana
- Cottage Cheese Lasagna (with sneaky fiber)
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
